According to Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com, Adam LaRoche is out of today’s lineup against the Reds due to a stiff back. He has been dealing with the issue over the past couple of days and made an early exit from last night’s 15-0 blowout loss after his condition worsened.

It doesn’t sound like a major concern at the moment, but there’s a chance that LaRoche could also sit out tomorrow. Chad Tracy will make the start at first base this afternoon with right-hander Mike Leake on the hill for Cincinnati.

LaRoche, 33, batted .271/.343/.510 with 33 home runs, 100 RBI and an .853 OPS last season. He was retained by Washington this winter on a two-year, $24 million contract with a mutual option for 2015.

In a decision that was all but inevitable after news of Jaime Garcia’s renewed shoulder issues, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny confirmed today that right-hander Carlos Martinez has won the fifth spot in the starting rotation.